Job Details

Student Success Advisor-Writers' Center
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Position Number: 5581260
Location: Cheney, WA
Position Type: Student Affairs and Services

Student Success Advisor-Writers' Center

About Eastern Washington University:

Eastern Washington University, a regional, comprehensive public university with an enrollment of over 10,000 students, is one of six state-funded four-year institutions of higher education in Washington, each governed by its own board of trustees. EWUs 300-acre main campus is located in Cheney, a community of 12,000 residents 16 miles southwest of Washingtons second largest city, Spokane. Eastern also offers programs in downtown Spokane at the innovative, energy-efficient Catalyst building, the SIERR building which is a hub for research, development and advancement of health sciences, and at Riverpoint, a campus shared with Washington State University. In addition, EWU programs can be found at select locations throughout the state, aligned with the needs of the community. Eastern contributes to the vitality of the region and the state through its wide array of bachelors and masters degrees in over 100 fields of study, as well as applied doctorates in physical therapy and educational leadership, offering accessible pathways to career success and personal development to students of all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Eastern Washington University has been recognized for its commitment to helping undergraduate students learn, grow and succeed by Colleges of Distinction, a nationally trusted resource guide for college-bound students. The honor recognizes Eastern as a 22-23 College of Distinction (CoD).

Money magazine recently named EWU as one of its Best Colleges in America 2023.

Tribal Land Acknowledgement
Eastern Washington University resides within the traditional homelands of the Spokane People and other tribes who are connected through their shared history of this region. This land holds their cultural DNA and it is their Ancestors who are here and bring forth the knowledge of this place-the knowledge that comes from the land.

Job Summary:

The Writers Center within the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Eastern Washington University is currently seeking skilled and team-oriented applicants for our Student Success Advisor position. This is a 10-month, full time appointment work schedule, during September 1st though June 30th of each Academic Year.

The Writers Center invites applicants experienced in enhancing writers rhetorical awareness and learning transfer. The unit, purposefully called the "Writers Center" to emphasize that we work with people rather than documents, is located in the beautiful, well-lit campus library on the central mall, proximate to other student support areas and a vibrant coffee shop. "Responders," the term used for staff in the center, engage writers from across the disciplines and academic levels - from high school students to those in graduate programs or amongst the faculty ranks. "Student Success Advisor" is the generic term in our HR system. The work is at least 80% on-site. Multilingual candidates are encouraged to apply, as are those from disciplines other than the humanities or education.

The EWU Writers Center offers a variety of services and resources to support students, faculty and alumni become better writers and advance efforts to improve student learning and transition into higher education. The Writers Center Responder works one-on-one and in small and large groups with students, staff, and faculty writers from the Eastern community. The Responders work includes, but is not limited to, the following assigned duties.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative and caring faculty and staff committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to excellence in serving the community.

See Job Duties section for detailed description of the positions responsibilities.

The salary for this position is $45,308 (minimum) up to $54,372. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on qualifications, education, experience, and skills. In addition to salary. In addition to salary, EWU offers generous vacation and sick leave accruals, 12 paid holidays per year and fringe benefits, such as tuition waiver for employees, discounted EWU sports tickets and free transportation through STA buses. For additional information regarding insurance benefits please see our Benefits page: https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/benefits/insurance/.

EWU expands opportunities for personal transformation through excellence in learning.

Applications are open and accepted until recruitment is closed. Screening of applications will begin on September 25, 2024and will continue to be screened until recruitment is closed.

Required Qualifications:

Graduate degree (any field).
Two (2) years of experience in academic coaching, academic advising, or related field; working with groups and or individuals setting and completing goals and encouraging persistence and resilience.
Work experience utilizing current, credible philosophy, or theory-based practices to facilitate student success inside and outside of the classroom.
Demonstrated ability to work in a positive collaborative manner to build partnerships and work effectively as a contributing member of a team in a fast-paced, high-stress university/college system.
Demonstrated experience using technology.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and time while under pressure to meet deadlines.
Professional experience with programs that provide services to students from underrepresented and/or first-generation populations.
Must successfully pass a criminal background check.
Demonstrated interest, ability and/or experience promoting cultural competency, universal accessibility, or diversity.

Preferred Qualifications:

Graduate degree, including MA, MFA, Med, MD, JD, MPA, etc..
Professional teaching and advising experience of students in a college or university setting which includes a focus on advising, persistence, retention, or student success programs and learning transfer.
Multilingualism
Experience as a writer (published or in process).

Other Skills and Abilities:

Job Duties:
Meet individually with writers. Meetings may be in person, on Zoom, or for some programs, through written response. The Responder will typically meet with a writer for a 50-minute session.

Meet in pairs, in small groups or in workshops with writers. Meetings may be in person, on Zoom, or for some programs, through written response.

Responders aim to empower writers by providing personalized support tailored to their specific needs helping them develop stronger writing skills. Here are some ways they typically assist students in a session:

Generating ideas, developing topics, creating outlines, planning writing projects
Providing constructive criticism and feedback on the writers work. This can include suggestions for improvement in areas such as clarity, organization, and argumentation
Providing guidance on grammar conventions, sentence structure, and stylistic choices to enhance readability and effectiveness
Helping writers understand and apply citation styles (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago) correctly and provide guidance on integrating sources effectively
Offering strategies to overcome writers block, managing time effectively, and staying motivated throughout the writing process
Assisting with language proficiency, vocabulary, and idiomatic expressions

Responders prepare for meeting by:

Reviewing the materials in advance (if available) to identify strengths and areas for improvement before the session
Familiarizing themselves with the assignment guidelines and expectations to ensure their feedback aligns with the requirements
Identify recurring issues in the writing, such as organization, argument development, grammar, or style, so they can address these areas during the session
Gathering relevant resources, such as style guides, citation manuals, or examples of similar writing to share during the session
Setting goals for the session based on the writers needs including creating next steps or a timeline to revise and complete the assignment
Creating an agenda for the session to ensures that important topics are covered. This includes time for discussing feedback, brainstorming, and planning next steps

After a session, the Responder completes a report to document the meeting and provide a record of what was discussed and accomplished. This report is generally sent to the students instructor. This report may include the following elements:

Brief overview of the session, including the main topics covered and the primary focus of the consultation
Summary of the writers objectives for the session, as expressed by the writer at the beginning of the meeting
Observations on specific strengths and areas for improvement in the writers work including any recurring issues or patterns observed
Details of the feedback provided during the session, including specific suggestions for revisions or improvement
Revision strategies, additional resources, or next steps for their writing process
Plans for future meetings or additional support, if applicable. This could include scheduling another session or setting goals for the writer to achieve before the next meeting
Reflections or notes from the Responder on what went well and the writers suggestion for their revisions
Offer thoughtful, face-to-face, synchronous video-chat, and written feedback to on-campus and distance-learning writers and their writing.

Percent of Time: 90

Participate in Writers Center meetings, correspond with faculty members whose students visit the center; correspond with writers when requested.
Develop and facilitate group workshops for academic and professional programs including developing our "grab and go" workshops designed to be easily accessible and tailored to classroom instruction.
Provide Writers Center orientation sessions to undergraduate and graduate classes.

Percent of Time: 10
Conditions of Employment:

This position, during the course of university employment will be involved in the receipt of, or accountability for, university funds or other items of value, as well as the unsupervised access with the developmentally disabled, vulnerable adults or children under the age of 16. The offer of employment is contingent upon successful completion and passing of a background check prior to beginning employment.

All new employees must comply with EWU Immunization Policy 602-02 and provide proof of immunity or vaccination to MMR before beginning work at EWU. Waivers for the immunization requirements are available for medical or sincerely held religious beliefs.

This position is covered by the Public School Employees of Washington Collective Bargaining Agreement: https://in.ewu.edu/hr/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2021/07/Eastern-Washington-University-PSE-CBA-2021-2024-FINAL.pdf

All new faculty and staff are required to complete DEI/Title IX/Hazing Training for employees. This should be completed as soon as possible, but no later than the first few weeks of your hire. You can access the online training here or complete the training in person or via Zoom. In person and Zoom training opportunities will be posted on InsideEWU and are listed on Human Resources site https://inside.ewu.edu/hr/training-resources/.

Salary Information:

The salary for this position is $45,308 (minimum) up to $54,372. Where the hired candidate will begin within this range is dependent on education, experience, and skills.

Posting Date: 08/28/2024
Open Until Further Notice: Yes
Closing Date:
Screening to Begin: 09/25/2024

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Submit your application materials through our online applications portal provided below. If you are unable to submit through the applicant portal, please contact Human Resources Services at (509) 359-2381.

To apply, visit https://jobs.hr.ewu.edu/postings/12752

EWU does not discriminate in its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, genetic information, age, marital status, families with children, protected veteran or military status, HIV or hepatitis C, status as a mother breastfeeding her child, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, as provided for and to the extent required by state and federal laws.